Non-optimal codon usage is a mechanism to achieve circadian clock conditionality.

ABSTRACT: Circadian rhythms are oscillations in biological processes that function as a key adaptation to the daily rhythms of most environments. In the model cyanobacterial circadian clock system, the core oscillator proteins are encoded by the gene cluster kaiABC. Genes with high expression and functional importance, such as the kai genes, are usually encoded by optimal codons, yet the codon-usage bias of the kaiBC genes is not optimized for translational efficiency. We discovered a relationship between codon usage and a general property of circadian rhythms called conditionality; namely, that endogenous rhythmicity is robustly expressed under some environmental conditions but not others. Despite the generality of circadian conditionality, however, its molecular basis is unknown for any system. He

SUBMITTER: Xu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3593822 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature